A plot by any other name: The Name of the Rose (1986)

I believe (and correct me if I’m wrong!) that everyone has a comfort film, the movie you turn to when you feel down or sad. It doesn’t have to be your favorite movie, or even the best one ever made; it’s just the film you watch when you need a pick-me-up. For me, that movie is about a monk-detective investigating murders in a medieval monastery. Light stuff!

I’ve never been able to finish Il nome della rosa (The Name of the Rose) by Umberto Eco. I tried; I just couldn’t. Maybe someday I will. I absolutely love the movie adaptation, though, even if critics agree it’s inferior to the book in scope and depth. I didn't catch it in theaters. Instead, I rented it on VHS in the late '80s or early '90s—I can’t quite pinpoint the exact year—and it quickly became a personal favorite.

Never heard of it? Here is a summary based on the movie’s Wikipedia page:

In a remote 14th-century monastery, Franciscan friar William of Baskerville must use logic and deduction to solve a series of macabre, ritualistic murders that the monks attribute to the demonic. As the body count rises, William and his novice navigate a labyrinthine library and institutional corruption to uncover a truth more dangerous than the superstitions surrounding it. It is a high-stakes race against time, pitting human reason against the suffocating grip of medieval fanaticism.

That’s pretty much spoiler-free in case you want to watch it. Here’s the trailer so you get a feel for the film:

This movie inspired my gaming in so many ways. I love incorporating religious and political intrigue into my campaigns. While the film is a cinematic portrayal of the medieval period, it heavily influenced my imagination and how I depict monasteries and religious orders at the table. The secret library, the forbidden knowledge, was right up my alley.

The murder-mystery aspect was something I’d always wanted to try, and it eventually inspired me to run an adventure using AD&D 2nd Edition back in 1994. It wasn’t remotely related to the movie's actual plot, but it took heavy inspiration from its presentation and structure. The party's goal was to solve the murder of a nobleman’s daughter.

Things got off to a rocky start when the players used one of the last charges on their Wand of Resurrection to revive the girl! I was so sure they wouldn't waste such a precious resource on an NPC they barely knew, but they proved me wrong. Honestly, I should have expected that.

We ended the session there for the night. After talking with a friend and rearranging the plot, we met for the next session.

The players discovered that the noble and his court believed anyone who had come back to life wasn't the original person, but a demonically animated abomination! Suddenly, the party had to solve the mystery of who originally killed her, protect her from a father who now wanted to destroy her, and uncover why these people held such beliefs in a fantasy world where resurrection is entirely possible.

The superstition stemmed from a cult started by a reclusive monk who had influenced the noble. The idea had spread to his court and the local populace, leading them to believe resurrection was heresy. In truth, the monk was plotting to find a magical artifact that could resurrect a person and grant them godhood and wanted to keep anyone else from using such magic.

It ended up being one of my favorite adventures in that campaign, all thanks to the inspiration of The Name of the Rose. I wholeheartedly recommend watching it. It’s a great movie, doubly so if you are a fantasy TTRPG player or GM.

While writing this post, I discovered a modern RPG designed specifically to play out stories like the one in the movie, called Rosewood Abbey! That, in turn, is based on the TTRPG Brindlewood Bay, which I previously knew nothing about. See, I’m not just sharing memories with you; I am also discovering new things about TTRPGs along the way.

One last thought: If you look at the movie poster I included at the beginning of this column, it really doesn't represent what the movie is about or its tone. It’s just Sean Connery with his arms crossed, giving a petulant "I’m smarter than you" look. It makes the film seem like a cheeky murder mystery akin to Murder by Deathor maybe a medieval version of Murder She Wrote. The VHS cover, which you can see below, isn't terribly original, but it gives you a proper feel for the movie.

Thanks for reading. If you have a comfort movie, I’d love to know which one. Tell me in the comments!